Wednesday, May 8, 2013 – Mile Hammock Bay (Mile 244) to Oriental (Mile 173):

            Well, the helicopter pilots didn’t disappoint us!  They started whirring around just after we anchored and didn’t stop until the wee hours of the morning!  I suppose you have to learn to fly a helicopter at night, but why do they have to do that when we’re there?

            Other than the helicopters, it’s a beautiful, bucolic anchorage.  The only thing missing are the cows grazing contentedly on the shoreline as the sun sets.  The wind did pick up a little, and the anchor made an annoying grump sound as the boat would swing around.  It doesn’t do this all the time – just enough to be really annoying when it does happen.

            We did wake up to a beautiful morning, but we happened to notice as I was fixing breakfast that all the boats were leaving and pretty soon we were the only boat left in the anchorage.  So I decided that maybe they all knew something we didn’t, and then I thought that maybe we should just marvel at being alone in such a beautiful place.  However, thinking that maybe they all knew something we didn’t won out, and we decided to scramble and get ready to go.  We were actually thinking that everyone was trying to make the 7:30 a.m. bridge opening at the Onslow Beach Swing Bridge which was only four miles up the waterway, but a lot of them were sailboats and probably needed plenty of time to get up there. 

Mile Hammock Bay at sunset

            After having figured all that out, Bob decided that we better hurry up and head up to the bridge in time to catch the 7:30 a.m. opening ourselves as we had a long way to go today!  So with the last bit of muffin in my mouth and more than ½ of cup of coffee to pour down the sink (I usually pour that much out anyway!), we  pulled up the anchor and beat a hasty path out of Mile Hammock Bay. 

            Now we only had four miles to go, but by this time it was almost 7:10, and Bob decided it was time to try out mach speed on the boat, which he did, which scared Kitty Cat who cried under the covers.  I tried to tell her it was all right as I was carrying all our charts and stuff up to the fly bridge, but she wasn’t happy!  As we approached the last mark before the bridge I could see through the binoculars that there were several boats waiting (10 as a matter of fact), and I called the bridge tender to let him know that we were speeding up there as fast as we could but if he couldn’t wait for us we understood.  Whereupon the bridge tender asked me how fast we were going, and I told him 9 knots, and he said, “Oh you have plenty of time to get here!  Don’t worry!”  Well, that was reassuring, and sure enough we made it to the back of the line in plenty of time – especially since he was late with the bridge opening – so much so that I began to wonder if the bridge was broken.  But finally, the bridge opened and all the little ducklings in a row went through and then the passing began!

Waiting for the bridge

            We are going to try to make it to River Dunes, which will make for a long day, so we have to make some good time, so Bob proceeds to pass the first boat, and now there are only nine more boats to pass.  It is hot up on the flybridge (I’m thrilled) and I put on a short-sleeved shirt.

            Other than our dash for the first bridge this morning, I don’t think we have too many problem areas to go through – but, first up is Brown’s Inlet,  It’s high tide right now, and fortunately, we see 20’ of water all through here, so no problem!  We also have to travel through the Camp Lejeune firing range, and the waterway guide strongly suggests that you call them to make sure the area is clear for travel.  Well, I figured if all these boats were going through here, it must be ok, and I didn’t bother with the phone call.  Fortunately, we didn’t get shot at and made it through here alive!  A little while later, however, we heard a communication on the radio admonishing some “boater with the aircraft circling overhead get out of the active bombing area at once and head northeast!”  They had to tell the boater this a couple of times, but I think he finally caught on and complied, but I have no idea who or where this was!

            The “noseeums” are busy annoying us today, but we opened all the curtains on the flybridge and the wind seemed to help keep them away!

Barge filled with giant rocks

            I am just beginning to feel a little relief at the thought that for the most part, we are out of the really troubling “shallow zones”, and I think it could be time to relax.  Wrong!  Near Swansboro we are following a beautiful trawler, and he is making good time so Bob doesn’t feel a great need to pass him, and all of a sudden Bob and I look at each other and say, “Hey, that trawler isn’t moving anymore!”  We are wondering why he has stopped, and I think maybe it would be a good idea to call him on the radio and ask him why he stopped.  But just then he calls us, and lets us know he has run aground (!) and we should make sure we stay close to the side with all the docks.  There was a red mark that was actually a mark for an adjoining river, but because of where it was placed in the channel, boaters were being mislead to go over and around it, which if you did would cause you to run out of water!  Consequently, there was a lot of calling back and forth on the radios to relay this information, and we heard someone actually call the Coast Guard to let them know that this mark was causing such confusion. 

            Actually, if you were really astute and looked carefully at your chart, you would realize the mark was for the adjoining river, but you might still get in trouble as the water all around there was skinny except by the dock side of the channel.  Bob said all along that he knew exactly where the deep water was!

            Very fortunately, the trawler ahead of us that ran aground managed to get off again and go on his merry way.  We decided to follow him the rest of the way!

            All this takes you into Bogue Sound which is a huge body of water with a very narrow channel that you follow alongside small islands and sandbars.  There is no water to speak of (1/2 to 3 feet outside the channel).   Honestly, if you strayed out of the channel and ran aground, you could just get out and wade to the shore and hitch a ride with somebody!

Cottage for sale!

            Bogue Sound eventually winds up in Morehead City, which is where we had the unfortunate encounter with the sport fisherman, which forever forged my opinion of these boaters.  But this time we didn’t have any trouble, the railroad bridge was open (I honestly don’t think there is any place for a train to go over the bridge) and we wound up in Adams Creek Canal (which is basically “the ditch”).  That finally takes you to Adams Creek and into the Neuse River. 

Typical scenery on the way

           

More scenery

      The wind is starting to pick up, but it’s coming from the south so we are not uncomfortable.  Halfway up the Neuse River we take a left into Broad Creek and to River Dunes.  This is a fabulous marina – it looks brand new, the grounds are meticulously maintained, they have a really nice courtesy car that all the gadgets work on, and did I mention the showers???  If for no other reason, you should come here to take a shower!  The showers are in a cute little building and the shower itself is in a private little room with a door.  Through that door is a little changing room with antique hooks for your clothes and a nice tile bench for your other stuff, and then there is the shower itself!  A large (I mean it’s almost like a party shower) Italian looking tiled shower with a glass shower door and a large tiled bench inside the shower to put your stuff on, but the best part of the shower is the five water jets including the regular large shower head – but – it gets even better – there is a control on the wall that turns it into a steam shower.  It’s heaven.  It makes you almost want to stay here.  But I’m thinking about some plans when we get home!

            The only disappointing thing here is that their wonderful restaurant is only open on Fridays and Saturdays so we will miss going there.  It’s upstairs in the main office building with white tablecloths, candles and a huge fireplace (I guess for when it’s cold, but it still makes for a nice ambience). 

            Oh well, tonight I will make balsamic glazed chicken and an Italian salad with blue cheese and black olives.

            Tomorrow, hopefully, our mail will be delivered here, so we have to stay another day.  Darn – I guess I will have to take another shower here!